Car-door lock



June 7, 1927.

T. w. ELDER. .JR` GAR DooR LOCK 2 sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 28, 1926 u e 7 T. w. ELDER, JR

CAR DOOR LOCK Filed July ze. 192e simple, rugged and effective lock; easy and' Patented .lune 7, 1927.

y UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE.

THOMAS W. ELDER, R., OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, `ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN CAR AND FOUNDRY COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CAR-DOOR LOCK.

In the drawings: j

Fig. 1 is a partial side view of a cane car with my invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 shows a vertical transverse'section through one of the door locks shown in Fig. 1, onl a larger scale, taken as indicated by the line 22 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a side view of one of the door locks, similar to that afforded by Fig. 1, but on a larger scale; i

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the lock;

Fig. 5 is al" fragmentary cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 2, but showing a somewhat different construction; i

Fig. (i is a side view similar to Fig, but illustrating the locking mechanism of Fig. 5.

My invention relates to door locks, suitable .for railway car doors and the like, and espe cially useful for doors of general utility" icars, cane cars, etc. I aim to provide a inexpensive tomanufacture and install; secure in action; convenient and quick in operation. I also aim to make the mechanism positively or irreversibly self-locking, so that dependencefneed. not be placed on the operating device or mechanism to resist the tendency of the load pressure` against the'door toopen it; also, to obviate or minimize torsional stresses on the mechanism When'the door is locked.

Fig. 1 sho'Wsa cane car of usual type with sidedoors 9, of open work construction.

-- The door 9 comprisesV a series of upright angle bars 11 having their upper "ends hinged or pivoted at 12 to a longitudinal top rail 13, and secured at their lower ends to the inner side of a longitudinal lower rail 14 of anglefsection. Near their upper ends, the uprights 11 are also secured to a longitudinal angle bar 15.y The door 9 as a whole is braced by aidiagonal angle bar L16 secured to the uprights 11. The door 9 swings outy ward to open, while in closing its lower portion seats laterally against the floor structure of the car or its side sill 18 (Figs. 1`and'2). For holding the door 9 shut, there are shown a plurality of crank locks 19, mounted at intervals along the side s'1ll 18, in position to engage the lower portlon `of the door. As shown in Figs. 1 4, the locks',`

19 are operated by a common rotatable shaft or rod 20 'extending along the lower edge of the door 9, and the locking cranks (one for each lock 19) lare provided by offsetting this i926; serial No. 125,463.

rod. When the rod 20 is turned, one of its relatively offset portions 21, 22 moves or shifts linto and out of locking position in front of the door 9, and vice-versa. The other such portions are mounted in suitable supporting means carried by the sill 18. Such a rod 20 with one or more locking cranks may convenientlyibe termed a snake rod. In the present instance, it is the shorter offset portions 21 that lock the doblr in this manner by coming in front of and engaging the lower flanges of angle clips 23 (onef'or each lock 19) riveted to the bottom rail 141 of the door. The longer or main portions 22 of' the rod are mounted in supporting brackets 24 whose feet are riveted, in the present instance, to the vupper flange and to4 the vertical web of the side -sill 18. As here shown, these supporting brackets 24 are arranged at either side of each of thev Alocking cranks 21.

As shown in Figs. 2 and `3, the bracket support 241 has the form 4of a sheet metal strip or` strap extending outward from the sill 18 substantially horizontally, `curved downwardfin an arc 25 such as described by a main portion 22 of thev rod 20 when revolving .about the crankportion 21 as hereinafter described, and at the lower "end of its arcuate portion bent first upward at 26 and then dOWnWarCL-S-fashion. Webs. 27 connect the edges yof Vthe strap across its final bend, to brace and reinforce this portion of the bracket against impact of the main portion 22 of the rod 20 at the limit of its (unlocking) downward movement. The bends of the strap at the upper and lower extremities of its arc25 have substantially the same curvature as the surface of the rod 20 itself, so that the latter may seat snugly and stably in them. At the inner (sill) side of the sphere of movementl determined for the cranks 21 by the main rod portions 22 and the brackets 24, fulcrum supportsor seats lare provided for the cranks 21, in the presu ent instance by turning or bending outward theflo'wer flanges of the angle clips 23 at 2S (Fig. 2), preferably with a curvature correw spending to the surface of the rod 20. f For turning the rod 20, a crank arm may be provided at the end of the car, as by bending the corresponding end of the rod 20 at right angles as shown in Fig. 1. This crank 30 may conveniently bear such angular vrelation to the locking mechanism that when upper (locked) position by means ot va ring or link 32 slidable on'aibracltivsecured to the post 31, so that it niay be lifted over the endet tlieci'ank' to 'free the latter for f operation.

' lfilhe'n the door is unlocked, the niain lportion 22 ot' the rod 20lies in the lower yseat l ot' the bracket seat 26 with the crank 3() eX- tending downward (as already lmentioned) and tliecrank 21.e.\:tending outwardas shown 'in -idash and triple dot lines Ain Fig.

y2. llilhen, however,` the fcrank andthe rod 20`are rotated clockwise (speaking with reference to Fig'. 2), the rod shifts sidewise upwardorciiinbs into the locked position shown-in' full lines in 'Fig'. 2, with Ythe crank '21 azg'ainst'andinv trontoit the lower angle .A lilange 23 'on its seat 28 and the niain portion -22 Vof the rod seated i'ii thecurved cornerv at the upper end "or" thebracket arc 25. As therod E2O4 turns clockwise troni the unlocked positionf,`the lirstaction, to' swing the crank 421 upward about the'iiiain portion 22 as a substantially fixed aXisjalong theiarc lindicated indash and triple dot lines in: Fig.

2.A This VInovenient is `limited and terminated, however,"by striking` of the crank 21 against the-angle V23, ontlie outwardprojecting seat Aor ulcruni portion 28 ot' thela'tter. Further clockwise'rotation ot therod 2Ogtlien causes f itsfniain' Aportion 22 to swing bodily upward and inward on the'lcrank 21-as a substantially lixed 'ax-is, alongthe arc shown in'dash a'nd dot lines 1n Fig.V 25 In this latter nioveiiie nt,'the niain portion 22 of the rod'20 is i guided by the arcuate outer portion 25ct the bracket 245 Accordingly, the final position of the rod 22 is'in the 'top rof the bracket '24, 'as shown Viii-full lines in Fig'. 2', with the crank 21 still yseatedV andA engaged against the vangle 2() and extending;` obliq'uely4 outvwa'rd and upward therefrom to the niain poi'tioii22, which is seatedy at the upper end ot the arcuate'portiomthe crank 30 extend-v ing as indicated in dot and-dash, lines.V .ln

this positioinit will be seen,- the crank 21 stablel as against-the' forcel exerted on it by any opening tendency of the dort), since,

it lies slightly below dead center7 withr reterence'to the effective thrust ot the door against it.v Hence lsuch thrust nier-ely tends to ben'd'the crank 21 andto exert acbiiipressive Vstress on the foblique portions of the rod 20 that 'connect the relatively offset-portions, without any tendency to rotate'tlieirod 20 counter-'clockwise Vand unlock "the door.' Qn thefcontrary, the tendeiicy-o-su'chf thrust 1s tohold the 'rod 20 fast in locking position. The door Y9 niay be vunlocked by a si'inple reversal ol' t-lie lockingl iiiovenieni. vAs shown in Fig. 1, the door l() and its yring nicchanisin are siiiiilaxrly c onsti'iu-tcd and i'ran'gedeiicept tlia't'thedoor V10 ten'fls loi'verarfdits shaft 20""aiid`brackets 24, etc., aieinounted at a. lower position on the side sill 18, so that the sha'tt 2Oa inay extend. along Vbelow the paits"'20, 24 for the door 9 to the sanie end. post 31 troni which the door 9 is' controlled. Preferably, a Vbracketsupport 34 Aniay *be* provided' tor'the 'ends oi vboth shafts 20' and 2O 'near 'the end post''ll, apertured to a'cc'onini'od'ate 'their opening" and closing niovenients as above described.v l The: construction shown i'niFigs. 5 and G dii'iers troni thatofliligs. 1 tov lin thatthe seat or 'tulcruni for the :crank 21 is not formed' on the-lower Harige ot the angle 23,

as in F 2, but by an angle bracket 35 riveted tothe web oi the. 'sill 18 and lprojecting outward just below the lower'edg'e of the angle 23, in "position to liniit the closing rnovenient ot the crank 21 and seat the latter inthe san'ie way as does the part"28 in Fig.' 2. itilso, theupper vportion or" the bracket 2LH" slopes downward slightly `1from the top of the sill 18, andthe lower portion oit' the bracket'extends horizontally inward (without the S-bend 26 ot'ligp2) and is supplemented ".with a Vbent "nietal strip bracket riveted under the lower 'toot'ot the bracket-241"andfbent loutward and upward to 'liniit inward'inoveinent of the'rod 22, so as toI arrest a'nd seat itat the lower end vot;the"arcuate portion 25 of the bracket 24h before. Also7 the car floor (oifsh'eetv metal rather'than otplank)'is interposed between theupp'er flange-ot' the sill 18 and the upper onder.r tootf'of the bracket 24,insteadof overlying said toot, as in Figf2. A

In-liligs; 5 and y6, variousparts and features :are -niarked with the sa'ine reference characters asin Figs. 1*-41', asa nieans oiidispensing with repetitive descriptions i lVliat is claiined is: f

1.' A door lockl of the character described comprising' Va rotary crank rod' with an oilset portion or-crank s'lii't'table into a stable locking position, beyond'dead center, in front of the door, or outbt' the way of the door to perniit the'sani'e to open past therod, with means for liniitinglockingv niovenient ot the rod to saidlocking position; so that opening pressure on the door shall act ttoV niain'tain the-rod in sai'd'locking' position.

2. A" door 4lock ot'the character described. cornnrisiiiga .'rotary crank rod, with portions oti'set'laterally relative to one another, andilineans cooperatinfrwith said relatively osett'portions toshift the rotating` rod sidewise between an unlocked position where the door may o'penpast it anda locking position 'in'frontpof the door. 'f 3. 'A doorlock Iof the character described Sii comprising `a rotary crank rod, with portions offset laterally relative to one another; an enclosing guide for one of said relatively offset portions; and a tulcrum for the other of said portions extending into the sphere of' movement determined for the latter portion by the guide; said parts being so correlated Y and arranged that rotation of the rod will cause it to shift laterally between an unlocked position Where the door may open past it and a locking position in front of the t oor.

4l. Aldoor lock of the character described comprising a rotary crank rod, with portions offset laterally relative to one another, extending along the lower edge of the door to be secured, and means cooperating with the relatively offset portions of the rotating rod to enable the latter to climb from a po sition below the door edge to a position in front of the door.

5. A door lock of the character described comprising a rotary crank rod, with portions ofiset laterally relative to one another, eX- tending along the lower edge of the door to be secured; an enclosing guide support for one of the relatively offset portions of the rod; and a fulcrum support itor the other oit said portions extending into the sphere ot movement determined for the latter portion by said guide support; said parts being so correlated and arranged that the rotating rod may climb upon the fulcrum support vfrom a position below the door edge to a. position in 'liront of the door.

6. A door lock of the character described comprising a rotary crank rod, with portions offset laterally relative to' one another; and means cooperating with said relatively offset portions to shift the rotating rod laterally between an unlocked position, where the door may open past the rod, and a stable locking position, in front of the door, with the crank formed by one of said offset p0rtions beyond dead center, and to limit the locking movement of the rod to said stable locking position.

7. A door lock oi the character described comprising a rotary crank rod, with portions oflset laterally relative, to one another, extending along the lower edge of the door to be secured; an enclosing guide support for one of the relatively offset portions of the rod; and a fulcrum support for the other of said portions extending into the sphere ot' movement determined for the latter portion by said guide support; said parts being so correlated and arranged that the rotating rod mayl climb upon the fulcrum support from a position below the door edge to a limiting stable locking position in front of the door, with the crank formed by one of' said offset portions beyond dead center.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

THOMAS W. ELDER, JR. 

